When to plant radish in open ground in spring: planting dates in the Moscow Region and other regions and how to sow seeds properly, after which it is possible, what should be the care?

Radish is considered to be the most delicious and healthy first spring vegetable. It is used in the preparation of many salads and other dishes. He is loved for his peculiar taste. The root crop grown on its own garden is especially popular, which even a novice gardener can do.

The following describes how and when to plant, how to care for seedlings, and also learn about the rules for collecting and storing root crops.

Features of sowing radishes in spring directly into the soil

Radish has a short growing season; it is planted earlier than other crops, not caring about the preparation of beds. When it is time to plant the rest, more thermophilic vegetables, the root crop will already yield a crop. This is a good opportunity to use the same bed twice a season. This is the peculiarity of spring radish cultivation.

What is the difference from growing at other times of the year?

Radish is a cold-resistant plant. To grow the tuber, it needs 10 to 12 hours of daylight, so planting is best done in early spring.

When the day becomes longer, and the air temperature warms up to +24 - 25 degrees, this negatively affects the development of tubers - radishes begin to bloom and throw out arrows, entering the breeding phase.

If necessary, re-planting in the summer, take into account the preferences of radishes to soil and temperature, choosing more suitable varieties with a late ripening period.

Why choose the spring period to plant a vegetable?

Spring is the best time for growing root crops. During this period, the earth contains sufficient moisture for the necessary growth of tubers, a short daylight allows them to develop, and not tops. The moderate air temperature also contributes to this.

The radish contains useful trace elements and vitamins that the body needs after winter.

When can I plant depending on the region?

The crop quality is affected by the radish planting time. Long daylight hours and high air temperature will make the crop weak, tubers grow small, fibrous. Depending on the ambient temperature seedlings appear on 4 - 10 days after sowingtherefore, for different regions, the timing of root crop cultivation varies.

In Siberia

It is best to plant at the end of April, when the snow will melt, the soil will thaw, the soil will warm up a little and become suitable for sowing.

In the Urals

Landing is done a little earlier, in mid-April, when there is no snow cover, the earth managed to warm up a bit and the threat of frost passed.

In the middle zone of Russia (Moscow region)

As soon as the snow melts, the earth thaws, severe frosts recede, you can begin to plant radishes. those. not earlier than the end of March.

What temperature can sprouts withstand, are they afraid of frost?

Radish is a frost-resistant culture, which is most relevant for the regions of the Urals and Siberia. Shoots appear at a minimum temperature of +5 degreesable to survive frost on the soil to minus five.

When reduced to minus eight, leaf damage is possible, if the frost lasts for a long time, the root crop may suffer. It should be borne in mind that low temperatures slow down the development of the vegetable.

Step-by-step instruction: how to plant a radish?

A correctly selected variety and soil preparation for sowing are a guarantee of a high-quality crop.

Which variety should I choose and why?

When choosing a variety, the time and place of planting, the region of cultivation are taken into account:

One of the high-yielding and early-ripening varieties is considered the "French breakfast". The first fruits are received after 23 - 25 days. They differ in the elongated shape of bright red with a white tip. Almost does not throw arrows.
"Early red" is resistant to shooting, the first crop is harvested after 30 days. White juicy fruit of dark red color.
Variety "Sora" is distinguished by the large size of the vegetable - up to 4 - 5 cm in diameter, juicy dense fruits. Due to its resistance to diseases and high air temperature it is suitable for cultivation in May - June.
The mid-season Helios variety ripens after 30 days on average. Root vegetable of unusual yellow color with excellent tastes.
The earliest ripe variety “16 days” speaks for itself - it ripens in 16 days. It is characterized by slightly tart fruits of a pink color with a white core.
“Heat” with raspberry peel and pink, slightly flesh-sharp taste, will delight the first harvest in 20 days.

For cultivation in the regions of Siberia and the Urals, the varieties "Heat", "Helios", as well as "Duro", "Presto", "Poker F1", which are classified as early-ripening varieties, are suitable. They are most adapted to short-term frosts and other adverse climatic conditions.

Where and for how much can I buy seeds?

You can buy radish seeds in Moscow and St. Petersburg at specialized points of sale or on the Internet at a price of 10 - 35 rubles per package. The cost depends on the manufacturer and the selected variety.

Seed preparation

According to the rules, before planting seeds, they carefully inspect and sort out, which helps to increase the percentage of germination. Damaged and half copies should not be planted, they are thrown away. For quick and accurate calibration, they resort to the following method:

prepare a saline solution at the rate of one glass of water per 10 g of salt;
seeds are placed in a solution and kept for 2 minutes;
seeds that emerge to the surface merge;
healthy are washed in clean running water, dried for further storage and sowing.

So that fungal diseases do not affect seedlings, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a manganese solution for half an hour, rinse in clean water and dry thoroughly.

The larger the seed in diameter, the better the crop will be. Small, expiring seeds will produce weak fruits and flowers.

Experienced gardeners recommend soaking the seed before sowing in warm water for 15 minutes, or soak in a damp tissue for a day. Before planting seeds in open ground, hardening is carried out., thereby increasing their resistance to temperature changes.

To do this, the seeds are placed in a tissue bag and left for a day at room temperature. Then transferred to the same time in the refrigerator. These actions alternate 3-4 days, after which the seeds are considered ready for sowing.

How to prepare beds?

Preparation is best done in the fall. They fertilize the soil and dig or plow, by spring the soil will gain strength, absorb the nutrients and be ready to give a crop. In the spring, the bed is harrowed, breaking large clumps of earth with a rake.

Radish loves light, friable, with neutral acidity chernozem. Clay, heavy soil is mixed with peat and sand, otherwise it will be difficult for the vegetable to form. An open, windproof, loamy and sandy loamy area is ideal.

The bed should not be illuminated by the sun for more than 12 hours, it is desirable that in the afternoon the site was in partial shade. In the absence of natural partial shade, create an artificial one - set arcs and stretch agrofibre or a shadow garden net.

Then what better place?

Radish feels good after zucchini, squash, cucumbers. Legumes and nightshade are also considered favorable predecessors. A bad harvest will be after cabbage and other cruciferous plants. With the right crop rotation, you can grow a good crop.

Process

Let's consider how to carry out the process of planting radishes, to what depth it is better to sow seeds, what will happen if you plant too deep. Planting radishes is as follows:

For landing on the site make furrows with a depth of 2 cm and 15 cm from each other.
It is advisable to sprinkle the bottom with ash or sand.
Furrows are watered.
Seeds are buried by 1 cm, the distance between them should be at least 5 cm.
Grooves are slightly compacted to get rid of voids.
Top watered again.

Some gardeners have chosen the method of planting radishes using an egg tray. The prepared bed is watered, waiting for the water to be absorbed. Then the tray makes indentations in the soil, into which they then put a seed and sprinkle with earth. The soil is compacted and watered from a watering can.

If you plant the radish too deep, the root crop will be stiff and fibrous.

To accelerate the germination of seeds, after 6 pm, the bed is covered with a film, in the morning it is removed.

Young plant care

The root crop does not require special care. The first watering is carried out several days after the emergence of seedlings. In the future, they provide the plant with high-quality daily watering, since a lack of moisture will affect the size and taste of the fruit. Excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruit.

It is necessary to ensure that the beds are not overgrown with weeds, too thick rows are thinned out, otherwise the vegetable will only give the tops. The soil around the rows is loosened, preventing the appearance of a dense crust. Fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers during cultivation is not carried out - the vegetable is prone to the accumulation of nitrates.

Fertilize the soil in the fall using superphosphate and potassium nitrate. If top dressing was not carried out in the fall, the following composition is applied twice during the growing season per 1 square meter of beds:

manure - 2 kg;
compost - 1 kg;
wood ash - 1, 5 kg;
saltpeter - 15 grams;
superphosphate - 10 grams;
potassium sulfide - 10 grams.

Harvesting and storage

Harvest selectively as the fruits grow. In the evening, the beds are watered, and in the morning they proceed directly to the collection of vegetables.

Early ripening varieties yield after 18 days on average.
Mid-season - after 23 days.
Late in 30 days.

Store the collected root vegetables in a refrigerator or cellar, after removing the tops at a distance of 2 - 3 cm from the fruit, and packing them in plastic bags.

Shelf life is a week. Some varieties can be stored for a month, but the fruits during this time can become sluggish and tasteless.

Radish is unpretentious in cultivation, rich in vitamins and minerals, it is loved for its pleasant taste. Subject to growing conditions, it is able to produce crops throughout the season.